Image of the day- Common Buzzard

EXIF:

Camera: Canon 550D

Lens: Canon 400mm f/5.6 L

Shutter speed: 1/250

f-stop: f/6.3

ISO: 200

Aperture Priority

Evaluative Metering.

My bladders were bursting and I had to pee that instant. I remember that day as if it happened yesterday. It was a cold winter morning in Munsiyari. The morning birding was good and i was returning to my hotel. My tripod was sturdy and i swear to god it was not imbalanced in anyway. I was halfway peeing, when I suddenly heard a sound that shook my core. The sound of my tripod and camera hitting the ground.

I don’t think, there’s any adjective that can describe how I felt then. Alone, in that dense forest, as I looked at my camera’s broken screen, I cursed life and god for being so cruel to me. I cried my eyes out wondering what my future was to be. Coming to my senses after a few minutes, I took a deep breath and pondered, well my screen in broken, but at least the camera works. So for the whole trip, I was shooting blindfolded, my camera always underexposed by 2/3 of a stop, so as not to blow the highlights.

Well that happened and while returning back, I stayed at a place called Udiyari bend. I swear, the sunrise witnessed from this place is one of the best that one can see from Kumaon. The previous evening, my hotel waala told me about a village some 5 Kms away, which had good sightings of White-crested Laughing thrushes. So waking up and taking a truck, I reached this village well before sunrise. A retired Army officer thought i was a terrorist. We had a good chat while i satisfied his curiosity and enjoyed a hot tea.

White-throated laughing thrushes were the first to wake up at dawn. It was when I was following them, that I noticed this lone Common Buzzard sitting high atop a tree. An extremely beautiful sun was rising beyond the ridges and perched on this tree this raptor looked absolutely majestic.

The reason this was shot in evaluative metering is because, my screen was broken and there was no way for me to change it to spot without seeing the screen. Fortunately since the scene was mostly bright, the camera’s meter read for the highlights and did not blow up the sun.

Post Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.nine − six =

About Creative Praveen

I am a highly passionate Nature and Wildlife Photographer specializing in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India.I have been in love with the Himalayas ever since I was a child. I was an Engineer before, but the calling for Himalayas was so strong that I eventually quit my job and embarked on a journey to discover the Himalayas first-hand and am currently exploring the region. I am in love with the culture and beauty of the Mighty Himalayas and specialize in capturing the Majestic Landscapes and beautiful birds of the region. I am also fascinated with the night sky and capture a lot of Nightscapes. I love trekking to the remotest corners of the Himalayas, staying for days in remote villages and tents in the Wilderness for my shots. One of my images has been published in the highly Prestigious Magazine “ Nature’s best Photography” , I also conduct photography workshops and Expeditions exclusively in the Himalayas, I have conducted several Nature Photo walks over a period spanning two years exploring the wilderness around Mumbai. Currently staying in a small town in Srinagar, Uttarakhand I am constantly exploring the region for Biodiversity hotspots.